UNE adds rare ghost lobster Casper to DNA study

The University of New England has added a 1-in-100-million white lobster named Casper to a study of the genetics behind unusual shell colors. The research could help explain how rare coloration develops and is inherited in American lobsters.

Why it matters: - Casper gives University of New England researchers another rare example to study as they look for the genetic basis of unusual lobster coloration. - The work could help explain how rare shell colors develop and how those traits may be passed to offspring. - The research also gives UNE students hands-on experience in genetics and marine science.

What happened: - The Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay, Maine, donated a rare white lobster named Casper to the University of New England. - Casper is estimated to occur in about 1 in 100 million lobsters. - UNE placed Casper at the Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center in Biddeford, Maine. - Casper joined a research project led by Markus Frederich, a professor of marine sciences at UNE and director of the Invertebrate Physiology Lab.

The details: - UNE is using noninvasive methods to collect and analyze genetic material without harming the lobsters. - Researchers are studying differences in gene expression to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind rare coloration. - UNE launched the initiative in 2024 after building a collection of rare-colored lobsters, including orange, yellow, blue, purple, calico and split-colored animals. - The research expanded after Peaches, a 1-in-30-million orange lobster, produced offspring with a range of colors. - Researchers have collected genetic material from the juvenile lobsters and are analyzing more than 15,000 genes. - Casper is the rarest-colored lobster to join the effort so far. - White lobsters are sometimes called ghost lobsters and are considered the rarest of the unusual color variations in the species.

Between the lines: - Casper adds another data point to a small but growing sample that could help researchers separate chance variation from inherited biology. - The project links basic science with teaching, since undergraduate students are involved in collecting samples and analyzing genes. - The growing number of rare lobsters at UNE gives the team an unusually rich collection for a question that is hard to study in the wild.

What's next: - UNE researchers will continue comparing gene activity across rare-colored lobsters and their offspring. - The team will keep using the juvenile lobsters and Casper to look for genetic differences tied to shell color. - Frederich said the lab will continue combining discovery, hands-on research and student mentorship as the project develops.

The bottom line: - Casper is more than a curiosity: UNE is using the rare lobster to probe the biology of color variation in a species known for occasional genetic oddities.